Safety concerns over lead ban

The Scottish Gamekeepers Association’s (SGA) request for lead ammunition exemptions has been rejected, despite survey evidence showing safety concerns with copper alternatives. The SGA sought derogations for urban wildlife management and night-time deer control in Scottish forests after an anonymous survey revealed problems with copper bullets.

Sixty percent of forestry deer managers expressed concerns about using copper ammunition during night-time operations. Sixty-eight percent said that lead was safer for public use due to copper bullets’ higher ricochet risk, while 62% cited better animal welfare outcomes with lead.

The SGA warned that forcing wildlife managers to use ammunition with greater ricochet potential in populated areas poses increased public danger. BASC has separately warned that the ban could severely impact deer management for 60,000 stalkers, with rifle ammunition in larger calibres including .243 now falling within the ban’s scope. New regulations will begin the three-year lead phase-out despite these findings.

An SGA spokesman said: “The request for a few well-reasoned and well-evidenced exemptions to a complete ban would have made the public safer. They would also have prevented more deer running on and dying a lingering death. It would appear this is less of a priority,” he added.

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